Paint distributor for use with a paint roller



0. WELT 3,394,425

PAINT DISTRIBUTOR FOR USE WITH A PAINT ROLLER July 30, 1968 Filed Sept. 12, 1966 INVENTOR. .DHV/D I. WELT fl M47 QTTORNEX United States Patent 3,3?4,425 PAINT DISTRIBUTOR FOR USE WITH A PAINT ROLLER David I. Welt, 7480 SW. 128th St., R/Iiami, Fla. 33156 Filed Sept. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 578,859 6 Claims. (Ci. 15257.06)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A paint distributor for use with paint rollers or the like comprising a perforated sheet preferably of expanded metal and including sleeves at opposite side edges in which are journaled bars having extending in a common direction feet and hooks at opposite ends beyond the ends of the sheet whereby the hooks and feet can be pivoted toward the plane of the sheet to minimize storage space and the feet and hooks can be adjustably positioned to accommodate the sheet to various sized cans and/or a paint tray.

This invention relates to a paint distributor for use with a paint roller which is adapted to be used with a paint container.

As is perhaps well known, rollers are quite often used in painting and it is desirable to distribute the paint on a roller surface by rolling a roller back and forth across the surface. The instant invention provides such a surface which also includes structure adapted to adjustably hang the surface from several various sizes and shapes of paint containers such as a paint can, in which event the surface or sheet is hung from the lip or rim of the can or, in the case of the painters tray, the distributor sheet is also adapted to be suspended as is shown in the drawings.

It is an object of this invention to provide a paint distributor for use with a paint roller which includes a sheet defining a frictional surface which includes side bars rotatably connected along the opposing edges of the sheet with each bar carrying a foot at one end and an arm at the other end with the arm being adapted for hooked up engagement with the rim of a paint container and with the feet adapted to rest in the container to space the sheet from a container wall, the said rotatable connection of the side bars adapting the paint distributor for knocked-down or substantially planer configuration when in shipment by merely rotating the side bars so that the feet and arms together with the main plane of the sheet are generally coplaner and whereby the distributor may be adjustably arranged on varying size diameter paint containers by merely rotating the side bars so that an equilength chord may be traversed of the diameter of a circular container mouth as seen in plan.

It is another object of this invention to provide a paint distributor for use with a paint roller which is adapted for hooked-up engagement with a container which is composed of inexpensive parts, which is simple in construction, which is adapted to be shipped and stored in a knocked-down version, and which is adjustable for attachment to various size containers.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the instant paint distributor;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the instant paint distributor;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the ar- 3,394,425 Patented July 30, 1968 rangement of the instant invention with the paint container; and

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation view in cross-section illustrating the instant invention in hooked-up engagement with a painters tray which in turn is supported on the rung of a conventional stepladder.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, and referring more particularly to FIGURE 1, the numeral 12 generally designates a sheet of expanded metal defining a frictional perforate surface having crests 14 and troughs 16 on either side of through recesses or apertures 18. Side bars 29 and 22 are rotatably connected along opposing edges of the sheet with each side bar having a foot 24 and 26 at one end 28 of the sheet and, at the other end 3% of the sheet, an arm 32 and 34. It is noted that the side bars are of a length substantially greater than that of the opposing edges. In the preferred embodiment, the side bars are slidably captivated in a tunnel or through recess 36 and 38 which is defined by a reverse bending of the marginal edges of the opposing edges of the sheet. Each of the arms is substantially reversely belt so as to define an acute included angle indicated by the numerals 40 and 42 defining a hook with a bite between the arm and the side bar. The feet of the side bar extend outwardly of the longitudinal axis of the respective side bar and define an included obtuse angle 46 and 48. It will be noted that by reason of this arrangement, the side bars may be rotated such that the respective feet and arms of the side bars are in confronting relation and are disposed in substantially coplaner relation with the main central plane of the sheet.

In use, the bite of the hook is adapted to be connected over the rim 52 of a paint contianer 56 as indicated at 53. It will be noted that by reason of the rotatability of the side bars the hooks are adapted to engage the rim irrespective of the diameter of the container so long as the diameter or greatest distance across is large enough to accommodate the distance between the side bars. Further, it will be noted that the feet will cause the main paint distributing surface of expanded metal to be spaced outwardly of the wall of the container and, preferably, the expanded mettal is drawn such that the crests are on the arm side face of the sheet so that the natural draining will be as shown in FIGURE 3. Alternatively, the paint distributor may be utilized with a painters tray by hooking the arms over the near side edge of the said painters tray which is designated by the numeral 58 in FIGURE 4. In this embodiment it will be seen that the feet can be rotated so as to raise the expanded metal sheet above the distributor fioor 69 of the tray above the well 62 so that the paint may be distributed with the excess dripping through the holes of the expanded metal and draining into the well 62. When not in use the arms and feet may be rotated toward one another so that the paint distributor will occupy a minimum of space.

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.

What is claimed is:

1. A paint distributor for use with a paint roller comprising: a sheet having portions defining a rough frictional perforate surface, and side bars rotatably connected along opposing edges of said sheet, each said side bar having a foot at one end of the sheet and each of the side bars having an arm at the other end of the sheet with said side bar arms and feet extending outwardly beyond the said one end and said other end of the sheet, said arms comprising reversely bent portions of the side bars defining a hook with the bite of the hook being adapted to engage the rim of a paint container and the feet comprising a bend of common angularity to act as a strand, when the bite of the hook engages the rim of a paint holding container, so that the distal end of the feet are adapted to rest on the container.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said side bars are both slidably and rotatably connected to the sheet.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the marginal edges of said opposing edges of the sheet define a tunnel and one of said side bars is slidably and rotatably 15 captivated in each of the tunnels.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said feet and arms of each side bar extend in a common direction.

4 5. A device as set forth in claim 4 wherein the side bars are both slidably and rotatably connected to the sheet.

6. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said feet 5 and arms of each side bar extend in a common direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,291,977 1/1919 McPherson 15-241 2,659,917 11/1953 Drum 15- -257.06

2,932,838 4/1960 Ovellette 15257.06

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,110,104- 10/1955 France.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

LEON G. MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner. 

